Chapter CXXIV. How he Blessed the City of Assisi when he was being Carried to St. Mary Thereat to Die

Now when the most holy Father was made certain, as much by the Holy Spirit, as by the sentence of the physician, that his death was near, seeing that up to then he had been in the palace, and feeling that he grew continually worse, and that the forces of his body were leaving him, he made himself be carried in his bed to St. Mary of the Portiuncula, that there he might finish the life of his body, where he had begun to find the light and life of his soul. But when those who were carrying him had come to the Hospice which is in the midst of the way by which one goes from Assisi to St. Mary, he bade his bearers lay down the bed on the ground. And though on account of his long and very great disease of the eyes, he was not able to see it, he made his bed be turned so that he should hold his face towards Assisi. And raising himself a little in his bed, he blessed the city, saying, "Lord, like as this city of old was, as I believe, a place and a habitation of wicked men, so I see that on account of the abundance of Thy mercy, in the time which hath pleased Thee, Thou hast singularly shown it the multitude of Thy mercies. On account of Thy goodness alone, Thou hast chosen it to Thyself, that it might be the place and habitation of those who should know Thee in truth, and should give glory to Thy Holy Name, and should show forth the odour of good fame, of holy life, of most true doctrine, and of Evangelical Perfection to all Christian People. I ask of Thee therefore, 0 Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies, that Thou shouldst not consider our ingratitude, but be ever mindful of Thy most abundant pity which Thou hast shown towards it, that it may be ever the place and habitation of those who know Thee truly, and glorify Thy most blessed and glorious Name, for ever and ever, Amen."

And having said this he was carried to St. Mary of the Angels, where, having completed forty years of his age and twenty years of perfect penitence, he, in the year of Our Lord 1227, on the fourth of the Nones of October, passed away to the Lord Jesus Christ, Whom he loved with his whole heart, with his whole mind, his whole soul, his whole strength, his most ardent desire, and fullest affection, following Him most perfectly, running after Him most swiftly, and at the last reaching Him most gloriously, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, for ever and ever, Amen.

Here endeth the Mirror of perfection of the state of the Friar Minor, in which one can sufficiently behold the perfection of his vocation and profession. All praise, all glory be to God the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!